That application of the sciences of biology and geology, which is commonly known as palaeontology, took its origin in the mind of the first person who, finding something like a shell, or a bone, naturally imbedded in gravel or rock, indulged in speculations upon the nature of this thing which he had dug out—this "fossil"—and upon the causes which had brought it into such a position. In this rudimentary form, a high antiquity may safely be ascribed to palaeontology, inasmuch as we know that, 500 years before the Christian era, the philosophic doctrines of Xenophanes were influenced by his observations upon the fossil remains exposed in the quarries of Syracuse. From this time forth not only the philosophers, but the poets, the historians, the geographers of antiquity occasionally refer to fossils; and, after the revival of learning, lively controversies arose respecting their real nature. But hardly more than two centuries have elapsed since this fundamental problem was first exhaustively treated; it was only in the last century that the archaeological value of fossils—their importance, I mean, as records of the history of the earth—was fully recognised; the first adequate investigation of the fossil remains of any large group of vertebrated animals is to be found in Cuvier's "Recherches sur les Ossemens Fossiles," completed in 1822; and, so modern is stratigraphical palaeontology, that its founder, William Smith, lived to receive the just recognition of his services by the award of the first Wollaston Medal in 1831.

Although Charles Darwin never visited China, his ideas landed there with force. Darwinism was the first great Western theory to make an impact on the Chinese and, from 1895 until at least 1921, when Marxism gained a formal foothold, it was the dominant Western "ism" influencing Chinese politics and thought. The authority of Darwin, sometimes misiniterpreted, influenced reformers and revolutionaries and paved the way for Chinese Marxism and the thought of Mao Tse-tung. This study evaluates Darwin's theory of evolution as a stimulus to Chinese political changes and philosophic challenge to traditional Chinese beliefs. James Pusey bases his analysis on a survey of journals issued from 1896 to 1910 and, after a break for revolutionary action, from 1915 to 1926, with emphasis on the era between the Sino-Japanese War and the Republician Revolution. The story of Darwinism in China involves, among others, the most famous figures of modern Chinese intellectual history.

"Ferenc Morton Szasz was a lifelong student who became a professor of history at the University of New Mexico. As a one-year appointment at the Albuquerque campus evolved into a forty-year career, Szasz glimpsed the predictable unpredictability that he would eventually discern as one of history's most enduring and elusive traits. The connections and consequences along the way forged a truly exceptional life and career. A master of the United States history survey, Szasz enthralled and inspired tens of thousands of students with energy, enthusiasm, provocative insights, and good will. Ambitious undergraduates regularly vied with graduate students for coveted seats in his upper level courses, where he offered insights into World War II, American religious history, and popular culture. Szasz's interests, he insisted, were the "ideas of the people...and how they shift over time." In an era when historical scholarship became increasingly specialized, he pursued an eclectic array of research interests and challenged his doctoral students to do the same. The ten selections of Szasz's writings that are the primary content of this volume balance insights into history's great moments with attention to events and details often overlooked by more conventional historians. Szasz's crisp, accessible prose reveals both the unique and universal in the human experience and offers heartfelt glimpses into humanity's paradoxical promises and perils.""--Back cover